Rock 'n' Roll (play)
Encyclopedia
Rock 'n' Roll is a play by British
playwright
Tom Stoppard
that premiered at the Royal Court Theatre
, London
, in 2006.
in the emergence of the socialist movement in Eastern Bloc
Czechoslovakia
between the Prague Spring
of 1968 and the Velvet Revolution
of 1989. Taking place in Cambridge
, England
and in Prague
, the play contrasts the attitudes of a young Czech Ph.D student and rock music fan who becomes appalled by the repressive regime in his home country with those of his British Marxist professor who unrepentantly continues to believe in the Soviet ideal.
The play takes place over several decades from the late 1960s until 1990, ending with a concert given by The Rolling Stones
that year in Prague. Recurrent references are made to a glimpse by one of the main characters of the young Syd Barrett
performing Golden Hair. Barrett's physical and mental decline also plays a role in the drama (Barrett in fact died during the play's run). The underground Czech group The Plastic People of the Universe
are held up by another character as an ideal of resistance to Communism. The poetry of Sappho
is another recurrent motif; its pagan sensualism is implicitly compared with the anarchic erotic force of Rock music.
One of the characters, a Czech writer, is named Ferdinand as an homage to Václav Havel
. Havel wrote three plays with a protagonist named Ferdinand Vaněk, a stand-in for Havel himself. These plays were distributed by samizdat
and became a symbol of the resistance. A number of Havel's friends then wrote their own plays with Ferdinand Vaněk. Stoppard continues in that tradition.
This play is one of several works in Stoppard's oeuvre concerned with artistic dissent against the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
: Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth
also concerns this, as does Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
and Professional Foul
.
and ran from June 3 until July 15, 2006. It then transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre
. The production was directed by Trevor Nunn
and featured the following cast:
Taking over from the principal actors mid-run were:
The production closed on February 25, 2007 at the Duke of York's Theatre
before an announced transfer to Broadway in the autumn of 2007.
The premiere of the play was attended by first president of the post-Communist Czech Republic
and leading figure of the Velvet Revolution
, Václav Havel
(a friend of Stoppard's) and rock
star Mick Jagger
, whose band, The Rolling Stones
features in the final scene of the play (and who has also previously worked with Stoppard, having produced the film Enigma
, for which Stoppard wrote the screenplay, and who, along with his production company Jagged Films, has "approached" Stoppard "for the movie rights" to the play Rock 'n' Roll.
(Národní Divadlo) in February 2007. It features opening and closing performances by The Plastic People of the Universe
.
(New York City) run of the play commenced in previews on October 19, 2007 and opened on November 4, 2007 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
. Several of the original cast members — including Sewell
, Cox and Cusack
— appeared in the production that is directed by Trevor Nunn
. The production had a strictly limited run and closed on March 9, 2008.
, opened at the American Conservatory Theatre on September 17, 2008. It then moved to Boston
's Huntington Theatre Company
, who co-produced the production, on November 7.
The first UK production of the play outside London was at the Library Theatre in Manchester from February 13 to March 14, 2009.
Joy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director of The Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, will direct the play beginning April 22, 2009.
The Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas produced Rock 'n' Roll beginning April 24, 2009, directed by Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd.
Goodman Theatre
of Chicago hosted a production from May 2 through June 7, 2009.
The Canadian Stage Company of Toronto, Ontario featured Rock 'n' Roll in their 2009-2010 season between September 28 and October 24.
A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) in Seattle produced the play as part of their 2009 Season between October 9 and November 8, 2009.
Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota produced Rock 'n' Roll beginning January 15, 2010, directed by Mary M. Finnerty.
A production was staged at The Questors Theatre in Ealing, West London, from December 19, 2009 to January 2, 2010.
The San Jose Stage Company presented a new production of Rock 'n' Roll from February 10 to March 7, 2010.
Horipro
presented the first Japan production of the play at the Setagaya public theater in Setagaya, Tokyo
, from August 3 to August 29, 2010.
Belmont Abbey College
in Belmont, North Carolina will produce Rock 'n' Roll, directed by Simon Donoghue, beginning February 24, 2011.
National Theater of Kosovo will also produce Rock 'n' Roll beginning January 2011.
Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Oyuncuları (YUO) started rehearsals in November 2010 for a Turkish production.
The Kavinoky Theatre in Buffalo, New York produced "Rock 'N' Roll" in 2011 from March 4th to April 3rd
The Sydney Theatre, Sydney, production by the Melbourne Theatre Company from 11 April 2008 to 17 May 2008
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
Tom Stoppard
Tom Stoppard
Sir Tom Stoppard OM, CBE, FRSL is a British playwright, knighted in 1997. He has written prolifically for TV, radio, film and stage, finding prominence with plays such as Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Professional Foul, The Real Thing, and Rosencrantz and...
that premiered at the Royal Court Theatre
Royal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, in 2006.
Plot summary
The play is concerned with the significance of rock and rollRock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
in the emergence of the socialist movement in Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
between the Prague Spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
of 1968 and the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
of 1989. Taking place in Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, the play contrasts the attitudes of a young Czech Ph.D student and rock music fan who becomes appalled by the repressive regime in his home country with those of his British Marxist professor who unrepentantly continues to believe in the Soviet ideal.
The play takes place over several decades from the late 1960s until 1990, ending with a concert given by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
that year in Prague. Recurrent references are made to a glimpse by one of the main characters of the young Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett
Syd Barrett , born Roger Keith Barrett, was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist, and painter, best remembered as a founding member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band's psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic...
performing Golden Hair. Barrett's physical and mental decline also plays a role in the drama (Barrett in fact died during the play's run). The underground Czech group The Plastic People of the Universe
The Plastic People of the Universe
The Plastic People of the Universe is a rock band from Prague, Czech Republic. It was the foremost representative of Prague's underground culture . This avant-garde group went against the grain of the Communist regime and due to its non-conformism often suffered serious problems such as arrests...
are held up by another character as an ideal of resistance to Communism. The poetry of Sappho
Sappho
Sappho was an Ancient Greek poet, born on the island of Lesbos. Later Greeks included her in the list of nine lyric poets. Her birth was sometime between 630 and 612 BC, and it is said that she died around 570 BC, but little is known for certain about her life...
is another recurrent motif; its pagan sensualism is implicitly compared with the anarchic erotic force of Rock music.
One of the characters, a Czech writer, is named Ferdinand as an homage to Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
. Havel wrote three plays with a protagonist named Ferdinand Vaněk, a stand-in for Havel himself. These plays were distributed by samizdat
Samizdat
Samizdat was a key form of dissident activity across the Soviet bloc in which individuals reproduced censored publications by hand and passed the documents from reader to reader...
and became a symbol of the resistance. A number of Havel's friends then wrote their own plays with Ferdinand Vaněk. Stoppard continues in that tradition.
This play is one of several works in Stoppard's oeuvre concerned with artistic dissent against the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia
The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, in Czech and in Slovak: Komunistická strana Československa was a Communist and Marxist-Leninist political party in Czechoslovakia that existed between 1921 and 1992....
: Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth
Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth
Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth are two plays by Tom Stoppard, written to be performed together. This was not the first time that Stoppard had made use of Shakespearian texts in his own plays or even the first time he had used Hamlet although the context is far different from that of his earlier...
also concerns this, as does Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour
Every Good Boy Deserves Favour is a stage play by Tom Stoppard with music by André Previn. It was first performed in 1977. The play criticizes the Soviet practice of treating political dissidence as a form of mental illness. Its title derives from the popular mnemonic used by music students to...
and Professional Foul
Professional Foul
Professional Foul is a play written by Czech-born, British playwright Tom Stoppard. It was first published in 1977 and was filmed for BBC television and broadcast in September of the same year....
.
Original production
The original production was staged at the Royal Court TheatreRoyal Court Theatre
The Royal Court Theatre is a non-commercial theatre on Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is noted for its contributions to modern theatre...
and ran from June 3 until July 15, 2006. It then transferred to the Duke of York's Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
. The production was directed by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
and featured the following cast:
- Jan - Rufus SewellRufus SewellRufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
- Max - Brian Cox
- Eleanor, Esme - Sinéad CusackSinéad CusackSinéad Moira Cusack is an Irish stage, television and film actress. She has received two Tony Award nominations: once for Best Leading Actress in Much Ado About Nothing , and again for Best Featured Actress in Rock 'n' Roll .-Background:...
- Interrogator, Nigel - Anthony CalfAnthony CalfAnthony Calf is a British actor, born in Hammersmith, London, England. He studied acting at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art . He has recurring roles in the television medical drama Holby City, as Michael Beauchamp, and New Tricks as Strickland...
- Ferdinand - Pete SullivanPete SullivanPeter Sullivan is a British theatre, film and television actor known mainly for new work with theatre companies and writers from both Europe and the United States.- Biography :...
- Young Esme, Alice - Alice EveAlice EveAlice Sophia Eve is an English actress. She is known for her lead in She's Out of My League and also appeared in Sex and the City 2. She will also star in the up-coming The Decoy Bride and Men in Black III.- Early life :...
- Gillian, Magda, Deirdre - Miranda Colchester
- Piper, Police Officer 1, Stephen - Edward HoggEdward HoggEdward Hogg is an English actor, known for portraying Jesco White in White Lightnin and Stephen Turnbull in Bunny and the Bull.-Background:...
- Milan, Police Officer 2, Jaroslav - Martin Chamberlain
- Lenka - Nicole Ansari
- Candida - Louise Bangay
Taking over from the principal actors mid-run were:
- Jan - Dominic WestDominic WestDominic Gerard Fe West is an English actor best known for his role as Detective Jimmy McNulty in the HBO drama series The Wire.-Film and TV:...
- Max - David CalderDavid Calder (actor)David Calder is a British actor.Calder was born in Portsmouth, England, and trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His most high profile TV roles include Det. Insp...
- Eleanor, Esme - Emma FieldingEmma FieldingEmma Georgina Annalies Fielding is an English actress.-Biography:The lapsed Roman Catholic daughter of a British Army soldier, Fielding spent much of her childhood in Malaysia and Nigeria, and a period in Malvern above her grandparents' betting shop...
The production closed on February 25, 2007 at the Duke of York's Theatre
Duke of York's Theatre
The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
before an announced transfer to Broadway in the autumn of 2007.
The premiere of the play was attended by first president of the post-Communist Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and leading figure of the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
, Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
(a friend of Stoppard's) and rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
star Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
, whose band, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
features in the final scene of the play (and who has also previously worked with Stoppard, having produced the film Enigma
Enigma (2001 film)
Enigma is a 2001 British film about the Enigma codebreakers of Bletchley Park in World War II. The film, directed by Michael Apted, stars Dougray Scott and Kate Winslet. The film's screenplay was by Tom Stoppard, based on the novel Enigma by Robert Harris...
, for which Stoppard wrote the screenplay, and who, along with his production company Jagged Films, has "approached" Stoppard "for the movie rights" to the play Rock 'n' Roll.
Prague production
The play premiered in Prague's historic National TheatreNational Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
(Národní Divadlo) in February 2007. It features opening and closing performances by The Plastic People of the Universe
The Plastic People of the Universe
The Plastic People of the Universe is a rock band from Prague, Czech Republic. It was the foremost representative of Prague's underground culture . This avant-garde group went against the grain of the Communist regime and due to its non-conformism often suffered serious problems such as arrests...
.
Broadway production
A BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
(New York City) run of the play commenced in previews on October 19, 2007 and opened on November 4, 2007 at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre
The Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 242 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan.Designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, it opened as the Royale Theatre on January 11, 1927 with a musical entitled Piggy...
. Several of the original cast members — including Sewell
Rufus Sewell
Rufus Frederik Sewell is an English actor. In film, he has appeared in The Woodlanders, Dangerous Beauty, Dark City, A Knight's Tale, The Illusionist, Tristan and Isolde, and Martha, Meet Frank, Daniel and Laurence. On television, he starred in the 2010 mini-series The Pillars of the Earth...
, Cox and Cusack
Sinéad Cusack
Sinéad Moira Cusack is an Irish stage, television and film actress. She has received two Tony Award nominations: once for Best Leading Actress in Much Ado About Nothing , and again for Best Featured Actress in Rock 'n' Roll .-Background:...
— appeared in the production that is directed by Trevor Nunn
Trevor Nunn
Sir Trevor Robert Nunn, CBE is an English theatre, film and television director. Nunn has been the Artistic Director for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal National Theatre, and, currently, the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. He has directed musicals and dramas for the stage, as well as opera...
. The production had a strictly limited run and closed on March 9, 2008.
Other productions
The San Francisco production, directed by Carey PerloffCarey Perloff
Carey Elizabeth Perloff is an American theater director and playwright. She has been the artistic director of American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco since 1992.- Biography :...
, opened at the American Conservatory Theatre on September 17, 2008. It then moved to Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's Huntington Theatre Company
Huntington Theatre Company
The Huntington Theatre Company is a non-profit professional theater company in Boston, Massachusetts. The Huntington has garnered six Elliot Norton Awards and three Tony Award nominations for productions that were transferred to Broadway after critically acclaimed productions in Boston...
, who co-produced the production, on November 7.
The first UK production of the play outside London was at the Library Theatre in Manchester from February 13 to March 14, 2009.
Joy Zinoman, Founding Artistic Director of The Studio Theatre in Washington, DC, will direct the play beginning April 22, 2009.
The Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas produced Rock 'n' Roll beginning April 24, 2009, directed by Alley Theatre Artistic Director Gregory Boyd.
Goodman Theatre
Goodman Theatre
The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization...
of Chicago hosted a production from May 2 through June 7, 2009.
The Canadian Stage Company of Toronto, Ontario featured Rock 'n' Roll in their 2009-2010 season between September 28 and October 24.
A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) in Seattle produced the play as part of their 2009 Season between October 9 and November 8, 2009.
Park Square Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota produced Rock 'n' Roll beginning January 15, 2010, directed by Mary M. Finnerty.
A production was staged at The Questors Theatre in Ealing, West London, from December 19, 2009 to January 2, 2010.
The San Jose Stage Company presented a new production of Rock 'n' Roll from February 10 to March 7, 2010.
Horipro
Horipro
is a large Japanese talent agency. It was founded in 1963 as Hori Productions and changed to its present name in 1990.In 1989, Horipro purchased the publishing assets of famed rock band, KISS. Next, the company moved on to invest in more catalogs. A year later, Horipro Entertainment Group opened...
presented the first Japan production of the play at the Setagaya public theater in Setagaya, Tokyo
Setagaya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo in Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood within the ward. The ward calls itself the City of Setagaya in English...
, from August 3 to August 29, 2010.
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont Abbey College is a private liberal-arts Catholic college located in Belmont, North Carolina, USA west of Uptown Charlotte. It was founded in 1876 by the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey...
in Belmont, North Carolina will produce Rock 'n' Roll, directed by Simon Donoghue, beginning February 24, 2011.
National Theater of Kosovo will also produce Rock 'n' Roll beginning January 2011.
Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi Oyuncuları (YUO) started rehearsals in November 2010 for a Turkish production.
The Kavinoky Theatre in Buffalo, New York produced "Rock 'N' Roll" in 2011 from March 4th to April 3rd
The Sydney Theatre, Sydney, production by the Melbourne Theatre Company from 11 April 2008 to 17 May 2008